Archive for December, 2010

Back on Dec. 20th, I posted about 6m opening up with sporadic E skip. This is the propagation mode that can suddenly make 400-1500 mile (or more, with double hop Es) contacts possible on 6m. This is a big part of why they call 6m The Magic Band. Since Dec. 20th, there have been some decent 6m openings. One was on Sunday night, if memory serves. Anyway, I’m reading email right now (4:00pm central) from an FM broadcast band DX’er in South Carolina who is hearing the Dominican Republic well up the FM radio band. I wouldn’t be surprised if 6m is open. I can’t monitor myself — my 6m beam broke in half 3 Sundays ago in the blizzard.
Get on 6 and have fun. Winter openings are a lot more valuable than the long-lived, strong ones in summer. Make the most of it. Call short CQ’s on 50.125 but don’t hold QSO’s there. Move up the band. (You want to leave 50.100-125 open for the DX window — DX meaning no USA/USA contacts) 50.125 and above is where you want to operate stateside. There’s also a CW-only portion from 50.080-50.100, and there’s often good activity there.
But don’t hesitate to call CQ. You wouldn’t believe how many times the band is open but nobody is actually on. How do you know the band is open? By checking the beacon band –US beacons are from 50.060-50.080 and worldwide ones from 50.000-50.060. Remember, if 100 guys are all listening and nobody is calling CQ, then no one will ever hear a thing.
Let me find the link to the good 6m beacon listing… make sure you save that.
Worldwide 6m beacons: http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/50.htm
USA 2m and higher beacons: http://www.newsvhf.com/beacons2.html

Oh yes — also remember that on4kst.com chat has a very active 6m room. You want the IARU Region 2 room there (for 50 MHz)

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Don’t Forget About 6m Opening Up This Time of Year

8:05am Thursday — Want to thank KA0KYZ and WB9LYH for taking the nets last night and for sending me email with their check-ins. I’ll get the full net reports up here at some point before noon today, perhaps sooner.
When I got home last night, I noticed the APRS prop map http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na was very orange from WI east to NY and PA. Generally speaking, when it’s very humid, or there’s widespread fog, conditions improve, sometimes drastically. There was a big band opening last January 16-17th. Many guys were making 600, 800 mile contacts. What I remember was we had an icy fog and the trees were just spectacular. What I’m saying is today and especially tonight is probably a good time to get on and work some DX.

Really having fun going thru the email reports from KA0KYZ and WB9LYH. After 30+ months of these nets, we’re still getting new all-time check-ins, plus callsigns I haven’t heard on the air in my 7 years of VHF’ing. For instance, last night we had two new check-ins from EN55, KC9EGV and K9BTP. Plus a new one from EN44 — N9MHV. Also had a new one from EN40 — W9BBP. New check-ins means the word is getting out, so thanks and congrats to all of us who are helping.
So many hams now have 2m all-mode capabilities, yet I bet less than 10% ever use it. Or else they give it a try, hear white noise and give up. Now if you can direct those guys toward a time and place where they will at least hear activity once a week, then you raise their interest. Once that happens, they may improve antennas, feedline and really start enjoying the everyday DX potential on 2m SSB/CW. Or better yet, add bands like 6m, 222 and 432 MHz and become a confirmed V/UHF’er.

I already know that I have the 144.240 net next Wed. WB9LYH is unavailable. I am 40 miles north of Milwaukee, grid square EN63ao. Just like WB9LYH, I start at 0100/7pm central by looking north into the U.P. of MI and then I go clockwise a full 360 from there over the next 90 minutes. I call CQ frequently, every 20 degrees. Call at least twice on a given heading before nudging the yagis. So don’t worry about missing me.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on KA0KYZ and WB9LYH Have a Combined 43 Check-Ins Last Night

WB9LYH in EN54 (middle of WI) plans to be ON 144.240 tonight, starting at 0100Z by looking NE into the U.P. of MI, and then going clockwise, a full 360 over the next 60-90 minutes.
KA0KYZ in EN33 (far SE MN) plans to be ON 144.230 tonight. Terry actually starts a little bit earlier, so guys in MI, OH and IN can concentrate on him from 0045-0100Z, without missing WB9LYH on 144.240. KA0KYZ also goes clockwise a full 360, and will be happy to take a 2nd swing, if you ask him to on the on4kst.com real-time VHF chat. (Choose the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144/432 MHz.) Full instructions for signing up are at: http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3765
Let’s hope that K8TQK can get some warmer weather in EM89, so he can get back on 144.250. His antennas have been unable to rotate for several weeks now. As soon as I hear good news from K8TQK, I’ll share it here.

I know many of you have been helping to spread the word about these weekly 2m nets. Want to thank you for all the help. Let’s keep attracting new guys to 2m SSB/CW all thru 2011. And yes, re-energize the veterans to turn their rigs on more often and help keep the bands active.

ALWAYS remember that even if nets don’t interest you, there are many guys on every Wed. night, across dozens of grids and multiple states. We encourage our net check-ins to spread out down the band and call around on their own. So whatever you enjoy doing on 2m, put Wed. night on the schedule.

Got a good email from WV9E overnight. Let me share what he has to say: “The net is on this week. W9RPM has a vertical yagi and can work any weak ones so plan to give us a call. All licensed amateurs are welcome to join us.
Email me at : dave@wv9e.net and let me know you are planning to be on and from what grid square so we can get a beam your way….

Discussion:
SSTV nite or event in LaCrosse area on 2 meter FM ?
Does anyone in the area have ATV equipment ( I know there are 2 of us atleast). Plan a new years ATV narrowcast?

Hope to hear you on the air.
73,
Dave, WV9E”

This net is on every Thursday at 8:30pm central time, on 146.460. Look toward the La Crosse/Onalaska, WI area (middle of EN43 grid). More info is always available at wv9e.net

Mark also says that as of now, he plans to be ON 144.240 next Wed., Dec. 29th. KA0KYZ in EN33 also plans to be ON 144.230 that night. Let’s hope that K8TQK can get some warmer weather in EM89, so he can get back on 144.250. As always, we’ll update here toward next Tuesday.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on WB9LYH Enjoys 23 check-ins Last Night on 144.240

Tonight we have WB9LYH in EN54cl, smack in the middle of WI. He’s on 144.240, starting at 7pm central/8pm eastern. Mark starts out pointing northeast toward the U.P. of MI and then swings clockwise over the next 60-90 minutes, calling CQ in a full 360 arc.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Scroll Down to Dec. 20th post for Tonight’s 2m SSB Net Info

This website has the most visitors on Wed. and Thur. so I want to get the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes information up here, front and center. Visit this link for everything you need to know http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3864 At that link, there are rules, helpful hints, plus my series of articles called VHF Contesting School. Feel free to share this info with your ham buddies or clubs.
The contest runs from 1900Z on Sat. Jan 22nd until 0400Z on early Monday Jan 24th. In central time terms, that’s from 1pm Sat. until 10pm Sun.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Month from Today — Next Big VHF/UHF Contest

Unless you’re brand new to this website, you know about 222 Tuesday by now. It’s a general activity night for this under-used VHF band. Ops all across USA and VE are encouraged to get on and call CQ on/near 222.100 SSB/CW and 223.500 FM. Swing the beams and see who all is out there. No net control, no single area of focus, it’s as good as each 222 operator makes it. Most guys have been getting on about 7-7:30pm your local time.

If you’d like more 222 Tuesday info, click on this link: http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3753
That link also details 2m and 6m activity out of SW Lower MI (EN72) every Tuesday.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on 222 Tuesday is ON Every Tuesday + SW Lower MI has 6 and 2m Activity Every Tuesday

9:55am Monday — If you have a 6m antenna that isn’t broken (lost mine in the blizzard 2 weekends ago), then you want to pay attention. I know I’ve seen email about little openings during the past week, and now this morning, I saw an FM broadcast band DX’er in Pennsylvania talk about receiving 95.5MHz out of Austin, TX, on a 1436 mile path. That’s a pretty healthy MUF (maximum usable frequency).
If this is like a typical summertime day of sporadic E skip on 6m, the morning opening should grow more widespread, perhaps have an afternoon lull and then re-intensify toward mid-late afternoon, into the evening.
In short, be aware of potential on 6. This is the time of year where we get the secondary, smaller pop of E skip.

Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on 6m Has Been Opening up Lately. PA is Hearing 95.5MHz FM out of TX This Morning